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Please click on the link above and take the AMG survey. The survey is short (20 questions, many yes or no) and should only take about 5-15 minutes to complete. Also, the survey is for anyone, regardless of whether or not you actually attended the event. Your information, particularly those who are rather shy about giving feedback/opinions in the forums is important!

I updated the survey, but unfortunately didn't find out until after I did so that it corrupted the survey results for those who have already completed the survey. There were 4 people who took the survey before 4:45 PM (EST). Can I ask those individuals who have already taken the survey to retake it for me please!!!!

Once enough surveys have been received I'll post periodic summaries of the results in this thread. The survey will be closed on Friday, September 22nd. I will post the final survey results here as well. The website summaries the survey results into various formats/templates (PDF or MSExcel), so at any given time I can provide survey results if someone wants this information. And this is done with minimal (well no, actually) manipulation required by me.

If at any time someone would like the results and they have not been posted in this thread, please send me a PM with your email address and I'll send the results/files straight away.

You're the top, you're the Colosseum,You're the top, you're the Louvre Museum,You're a melody from a symphony by Strauss,You're a Bendel bonnet, a Shakespeare sonnet, you're Mickey Mouse.You're the Nile, you're the Tower of Pisa,You're the smile on the Mona Lisa,I'm a worthless check, a total wreck, a flop,But if baby I'm the bottom, you're the top!

Hugs,Alan (who loves to break into a song!)

added on edit: oops, maybe I shouldn't have done a song about tops and bottoms.....hehe

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"Remember my sentimental friend that a heart is not judged by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others." - The Wizard of Oz

Bailey, I'm certain your initial response was received and counted. After I deleted the first 4 responses and reset one of the questions, a survey was completed. Your first reply in this thread was right after it popped up. If your 2nd try was kicked out, then that confirms that your survey has received.

Creighton, I'm not sure which questions you are referring to. But there are two questions near the start of the survey which ask "If you did not attend...." The first option you can choose (for both questions) is "Not applicable, as I did attend AMG 2006" That would be the choice to select in order to complete that question and move on to the next one.

(To others, not creighton): The last two questions are applicable to those who attended the event. People who did not attend AMG have responded with (not applicable, x, N/A, etc..).

Joe, sorry I am unable to alter the survey at this time. One option is to complete the survey and click on your most likely place to attend from the list provided and then for the last question, note that you will like to see the gathering held in your desired location (Asia.)

All,

I will not release any results until the survey has been completed. Ignore my statements above about periodic release of results.

I find this survey, like most I take, to have some flaws that will skew the real meaning of the answers. There were some very important questions under the "If you did attend, don't answser" subjects. I wanted to answer those and shed some light on what I felt were some things we need to keep in our sights for the future to mature this event to something much more impactful than what it currently is. Further, I submit a copy of the statement that I placed in the end of the survey here for all to see. This event is rapidly growing in scope and cost to totally alienate many of the people we originally were focused on to attend such events.

One last comment. I did attend Montreal, but like Toronto last year, there is no way in hell I could attend any of these events without the generosity of others on the forum. I more than likely will never in the future, be attending any more international events, as the cost to me, living on SSDI is far to steep to be able to even save the money to make such a trip. I cannot tell you how difficult it was to even save the necessary $500.00 for eating, transport and entertainment while I was there. Many of you thought I might be eating in my room because I did not want to "eat out", but the reverse is true, and thank the good Lord above for the market in the basement of the hotel, I used it regularly to economize so I could go to Quebec City, and all the other side events which to me were so very expensive relatively.

I think that these gatherings that are international are fine, and do serve the needs of the (qualified relatively) wealthy. However, those of us who are unable to work, unable to save out of a very minimalized income; well, we just don't come into the picture. I feel very strongly that because of the fact that many of the Living With Forum members fall into this financially strapped segment of society, that we should make every effort to seek financial help to pay the way for those who are in dire need of the gatherings, but would not even dream of such a trip without the help of an outside source. I never travel anymore, as paying for the gas to get to the doctor is no longer fully covered by Ryan White due to the current level of funding from Washington DC, and the general rise in the cost of living keeps me tied to home most of the time. I am very fortunate in that I have an income that exceeds $1000 a month, but many here do not, and those are the ones I am so very concerned with. If we are to make these events accessible to all from all over the planet; (an honorable and achieveable goal) then we must address the core of this event and deal with the money. This survey doesn't even come close to addressing this disturbing subject and at the same time, will not garner the needed responses from those who have felt dis-enfranchised by the very nature of an expensive trip that they cannot see their way to join. These are the ones that could benifit most from a gathering no matter how large, expensive or small and inexpensive

Please be sure, Cliff and others, I am not angry and am not bitching here, I am so very grateful for those who have seen fit to invite me to these events and paid out of their pockets for me to have this very pleasant and enriching experience. I gain so much from the trips and I try to give back as much as possible in my time spent on the site. That being said, I just cannot commit to any more international events, and will not, as there is no way possible that I can afford such expenses on my income. If I feel this way, just how do you think that some of the new women that are members of the site, look at these events from their very limited resources?

Please guys, we must deal with the money, or this event will become just like all the major conferences that we could all benifit from so much but must not even consider because of a lack of funds.

In Love and Concern.

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The Bible contains 6 admonishments to homosexuals,and 362 to heterosexuals.This doesn't mean that God doesn't love heterosexuals, It's just that they need more supervision.Lynn Lavne

I agree with you, the survey does not address this issue of financial constraints. But I do believe that those who are marginalized by this disease do come into the picture. I think the efforts by the grant committee and the sacrifices made by those who have donated to the fund, prove that people do want others to enjoy AMG, even if they are living with limited means. Also I remember people being very keen on finding a low-cost, quality hotel in order to keep hotel costs low and part of the considerations in terms of city selection was the average cost of airfare to that city.

At the gathering, Rocky approached me about using the human resources we have within our membership (CPA, Attorney, etc..) to establish a not-for-profit fund/organization that can better address fundraising efforts (outside of the forums). I would imagine that the new organizers will look into this further.

Unfortunately everything in life cost something. To meet, no matter where the event is located, there will be costs and perhaps that does result in some people not being able to attend. That's a fact of life. But hopefully once planning kicks into full gear, all of us can pitch in to help with brainstorming fundraising ideas as well as participating in various fundraising activities to address this issue.

This is a hijack....plain and simple. It has absolutely nothing to do with your survey.

I graduated from college in 1972. That fall a friend and I went traveling around Europe, E. Europe, Turkey, the Middle East including Lebanon. The day of the Munich massacre we happend to be driving to Tyre, which is near the Israeli border (and has been in the news lately, by the way). It was early Sunday morning and very, very quite. Eerily quiet. The streets were empty. Black flags were on buildings, windows, cars; everywhere you looked. We got out of the car to look around but then thought better of it. Got back in the car and drove back to Beirut (which, then, was a gorgeous city on the Mediterranean). On our way home we heard the news about Black September on the radio. By the time we got back to Beirut we could hear the bombs falling from the Israeli jets. The next day we had planned to go to Baalbek, in Eastern Lebanon and near the Syrian border. There are incredible Roman and Egyptian ruins there. We had just learned it was also the home base of the Palestinian Arabs who had invaded Munich. We cancelled our trip.

The movie was good. A bit long. But it was fairly balanced, I guess. It's inspired by real events, so I'm not so sure how much inspiration he gave it. It was also very graphic, at times. I could only watch portions of it at a time...there was just too much bloodshed and death.

It reminds you that sometimes vengeance is futile. But I like Golda Meir. Like Thatcher, she was one ball-busting lady. Too bad the Yom Kippur war ended up being her underdoing, (unfairly if you ask me).